Chapter 1 The Ripple Effect

The aftermath of the battle at the Mo Province Desert continued to spread, the news flying across the land like wings, causing an even greater sensation.

In Fengdu City, the newly appointed Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhu Zhengqing, removed the message from the golden-feathered eagle and flicked a medicinal pill to it.

Only after truly becoming the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard did Zhu Zhengqing realize what a headache-inducing position this was.

While holding great power and authority, it was also like walking on thin ice.

Especially when his strength was far from comparable to his predecessor.

*Screech*

The golden-feathered eagle soared into the sky, transforming into a golden streak and disappearing into the clouds.

"Truly, a troubled time…"

Clutching the letter, Zhu Zhengqing sighed before even reading it.

In less than a month, the seven great experts of the desert gathered, the title of number one in the world changed hands after the desert battle, and the Dragon Banner Gate underground palace, suspected to be the inheritance of the God of War, appeared. Any one of these events could be considered earth-shattering news, yet they occurred one after another.

This could not help but give him a sense of impending storm.

Especially the fact that Wang Quan Daoist, An Qisheng, defeated and killed Pang Wanyang, ascending to the top of the world, had already caused panic in the imperial court.

Even he felt uneasy in his heart.

This newly promoted number one in the world was extremely opposed to the imperial court.

His predecessor, Yang Lin, the previous Deputy Commander Yang Ling, the East Depot Supervisor Cao Tiangang, and Grand Tutor Ji Chonghua were all killed by him.

That day, he had seen that battle from afar, and his mind was shaken by it. Not to mention that the old Daoist was outrageously powerful, he was also truly lawless and disrespectful to the sovereign.

"Alas…"

He sighed and unfolded the letter.

He only glanced at it before his hand trembled.

Not far away, the new Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Gan Cang, was startled by his loss of color and took two steps forward, asking, "May I ask, sir, what happened?"

"There is news that Wang Quan Daoist might be coming to Central Province…"

Zhu Zhengqing's expression was somewhat unsightly:

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard's scouts discovered the traces of his red horse. After leaving Mo Province, he did not return to Wangquan Mountain, but instead headed towards Central Province…"

Since the battle before Fengdu City.

An Qisheng's importance in the imperial court had soared to the top. Countless scouts were observing his movements. Although they dared not tail him due to his martial arts, his entry into any city would inevitably be discovered.

Of course, this was only if the Daoist did not want to hide his tracks. Otherwise, few in the world could discover his whereabouts.

But it was clear that Wang Quan Daoist did not care whether his tracks were exposed.

After defeating and killing Pang Wanyang, no one in the world was his match, and no one could hurt him.

"What?"

Gan Cang's expression also changed drastically. As the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, if he came again, wouldn't he have to step up to face him?

Yang Ling's example was not far away. How could he dare to face that terrifying Daoist?

In an instant, he steadied his mind and said, "There are also You, Qing, and Liang provinces along the way from Mo Province to Central Province. It's not certain that he is coming to Central Province. Even if he comes to Central Province, he might be going to the Xia Yi Gate and might not make things difficult for us, right?"

"Moreover, he has already established a sect and accepted many disciples. He can't be reckless. If he provokes the imperial court, his sect will be destroyed in one morning…"

"Hopefully, he will have some scruples…"

Zhu Zhengqing collected his thoughts and shook his head with a solemn expression, looking quite worried:

"But if this Wang Quan Daoist comes to Central Province, it will be no less than the Golden Wolf Kingdom invading our borders. It is by no means a trivial matter. Even if it is making a mountain out of a molehill, this matter must be reported to the King…"

Gan Cang nodded:

"That's right, we really need to let the King know. By the way, we also need to inform the other adults…"

"You go ahead, I need to enter the palace."

Zhu Zhengqing sighed, got up, changed into his court clothes, and entered the palace.

Within the royal city.

In the empty hall, a series of low tapping sounds echoed.

*Tap, tap, tap*

King Feng tapped the back of the chair lightly, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Wang Quan Daoist…"

He already knew about this news before Zhu Zhengqing received the golden-feathered eagle.

"Our Great Feng has had over two hundred years of glory, and I have worked diligently for decades, yet we are on edge in the face of an old Daoist who has risen for only three years. It's truly laughable…"

At some point, King Feng suddenly laughed, his laughter sweeping through the entire hall like a cold current:

"The Great Ancestor was right, if we want to unify the world, national strength alone is not enough. We must also have the martial strength to deter the world, we must have the power to overwhelm the heavens and earth!"

One person against a country.

Throughout tens of thousands of years, there has never been a lack of such examples.

For those in the martial world, these are words that inspire awe, admiration, and hope. But for him, the ruler of a country, it is an intolerable, naked humiliation.

For two hundred years, Great Feng has been ruled diligently, with millions of soldiers and the strongest national power among the seven kingdoms, yet it feels powerless when facing one person.

How absurd is this?

How ridiculous?

How humiliating?

This made him deeply understand the feelings of Great Feng's Great Ancestor.

Back then, when Great Feng's Great Ancestor faced those Divine Meridian Grandmasters, and was forced to lose the decision-making power over a province by a mere old monk, was he feeling the same as he was now?

Was it because of this that he did not hesitate to use the nation's destiny as a price to forcibly refine the Heavenly Human Divine Weapon?

He could sense Zhu Zhengqing hurrying into the royal city, he could sense his solemnity.

From tens of thousands of miles away, he was already able to frighten the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a first-rank official below only the King and above ten thousand, causing the most violent institution in the world to be on high alert.

This scene pierced his heart like a knife, making him feel sad, and even more, an unconcealable anger.

Even more infuriating than the battle before Fengdu City.

*Crack!*

His index finger pierced through the throne made of cold iron essence. He leaned back on the throne, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled:

"A king must not be humiliated…"

........

"Freshly baked buns…"

"The best rouge powder from Yan Province, esteemed guests, buy it for your beloved girls, wives…"

"Freshly picked, century-old mountain yam, a great tonic for essence and qi…"

"The finest Xuan Province brocade, all colors available…"

Even as dusk approached, Fengdu City was still bustling with activity. The air was filled with the cries of small vendors and the aroma of various foods.

Fengdu City gathered special items from all over the world, countless provinces and prefectures, and was extremely prosperous. Most of the passersby were dressed in silk and brocade.

Their complexion and spirit were also better than visitors from other provinces, and their demeanor was naturally far superior to those from other provinces.

Han Changgong strolled along the long street, feeling the hustle and bustle of the street, his mind very peaceful.

He closed his eyes slightly, and the many sounds and sights around him were perfectly presented in his mind.

Scholars in green robes accompanied each other to read and drink tea, merchants back and forth were selling specialties from various provinces, pedestrians on the street were discussing clothing, food, housing, and transportation, which family's daughter was beautiful, which family's woman was unchaste and was executed alive…

The myriad aspects of life flowed through his heart one by one.

And this was only the surface.

His Qi Observation Technique had already reached an extremely high level. Just by hearing a person's voice and feeling their aura, he could sense their identity, achievements, and even their 'fate'.

"On this long street, there are more than twenty children who died young, and dozens who suffered misfortune. Calamity, calamity…"

Ripples flowed in Han Changgong's heart.

Since the battle of Fengdu, he rarely secluded himself in cultivation. Every day, he would walk along the long street for three hours. In a flash, two years had passed.

And during these nearly two years, the number of people he had observed and whose qi he had watched far exceeded a hundredfold or a thousandfold compared to the past. He had observed one-tenth of the 50 million people in Fengdu City in these two years.

The fate of millions of people was insignificant compared to the people of the entire world. However, by observing the small to understand the big, he had indeed sensed something different in these two years.

All walks of life, men and women, old and young, vendors and officials… Under the interweaving of countless fates, he had vaguely seen something.

If the Great Feng Dynasty's fortune was like a dragon, then Fengdu, the capital of the realm, was where the dragon's head was located.

The fate of tens of millions of people in Fengdu City, to some extent, reflected the problem of the dragon's head.

That problem was indeed not among the people, but in,

The Royal City!

"The Royal City…"

Slowly opening his eyes, looking at where the royal city was located, Han Changgong's expression was somewhat dazed.

Standing in the middle of the long street, surrounded by the surging crowd, he felt a sense of loneliness, as if he was walking alone in the wilderness, the world vast and empty, with only himself.

He could not remember when his body had become immune to the cold and heat, but at this time, he actually felt a slight chill.

"The weather is truly cold…"

Slightly tightening his clothes, Han Changgong sighed deeply and walked towards the location of the Royal City.

After walking past two streets, when the outline of the Royal City was faintly visible, a voice suddenly came and stopped him.

"This sir, this sir, please stop…"

The voice was somewhat old.

Han Changgong looked back.

It was a stall set up by the roadside. Sitting behind the stall was someone who looked like he was on his last legs. Beside him, there was a flag with the words "Calculating a hundred years into the past, calculating a hundred years into the future" written on it.

"Greetings, old sir."

Han Changgong looked at this familiar attire. Before he met King Feng, he also used to walk the martial world in this attire.

"This sir, your brow is dark, I'm afraid there will be a bloody disaster, a deadly calamity!"

The old man said tremblingly, half-squinting his eyes.

"A bloody disaster, a deadly calamity?"

Han Changgong chuckled dumbly.

He had become famous for decades, and his Qi Observation Technique was unparalleled in the world. His reputation once surpassed Bai Yue Zhenren, the number one divination master in the world. He could observe people's fortune, deduce military trends, and even calculate the fate of a nation.

He couldn't remember how long it had been since someone had spoken to him in this tone.

But as he laughed, the smile on his face disappeared:

"What did the old sir see? If there is a disaster, how should it be resolved?"

"Please write a word, sir."

The old man picked up a brush and handed it to him.

Han Changgong felt something in his heart and casually wrote a word.

"王 (King)? Good word, good calligraphy."

The old man seemed a little surprised.

"What does this word mean?"

Han Changgong looked at the old man, his mentality slightly eased.

"What needs to be explained?"

The old man shook his head: "What sir wrote is clearly what you are worried about in your heart, and naturally it is also where the calamity lies!"

"Hmm?!"

Han Changgong's pupils shrank.